India has historically had close economic ties with the Arabian Peninsula, especially the Gulf region along its eastern shores, writes a banking expert.

The first historically recorded maritime trade route in the world was, in fact, between the Indus Valley civilisation and the civilisation of Dilmun, which was located on the island of Bahrain and the adjacent shore of Saudi Arabia. Goods, including cotton and spices, were acquired by merchants from Dilmun.

London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s official business development company, has long been focusing on attracting inward investments into London, which is arguably the cultural and business capital of the world. This initiative, which started well before Brexit, sought to reinforce London as the gateway between America and Asia. It could become very important for London if it loses access to the Passport to European Financial after the UK exits the European Union (EU).

India’s banking chief Raghuram Rajan is recognised worldwide among a handful of those who had foreseen risks in the system before the 2008 financial crisis. As governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), he has become a leading voice for the developing world in international fora. During a recent visit to the UK, he articulated his traffic signal model to move the world towards a more responsible monetary policy.

India-Africa trade jumped from just $1 billion in 2001 to $71.4 billion in 2014-15. It is one of the success stories for Indian industry in developing and expanding an emerging market and highlights the benefits of South-South cooperation.

The European Union and the Republic of India benefit from a longstanding relationship going back to the early 1960s. Since then trade ties between the two have evolved slowly and steadily. From being an acceptor of help and services from the European Union, India has now emerged as an investor in the European countries’ development and growth. ‘India Global Business’ traces some milestones in this journey.